Issue 97 “UNION NEWS” March 2018

Dear Parishioner(s)

Women’s World Day of Prayer
We are so blessed with the invaluable contribution women make in all walks of life. The ‘Women’s World Day of Prayer’ provides an ideal opportunity to celebrate their contribution. Next Sunday in All Saints’ at 11a.m. there will be a special service led by women from each of the parishes and I hope this occasion will be very well supported by all parishioners.
This Friday evening at 7.30p.m. there will be an Ecumenical Service for the ‘Women’s World Day of Prayer’ in Killucan Church this provides another opportunity to celebrate the role of women.

Lenten Programme.
During this month there is the opportunity to attend the Ecumenical Prayers every Thursday in All Saints’ at 12 noon and the Service of Morning Prayer each Friday morning at 8.30a.m. In addition a Lenten bible Study will be held on Saturday 24th March at 10.30a.m. in All Saints’

Holy Week- for the last number of years a Service has been held in each church every day during Holy Week. This year there will be a variation to the pattern of Services. Details are included on the Holy Week Flyer with this issue of the Union Notes.

Christian Voices Together Lecture
A special lecture on the Bible will be held on Thursday 22nd March at 8p.m. in the Greville Arms hotel. The distinguished speaker will be Scott Evans, the Chaplain to UCD in Dublin. Scott is an inspirational speaker and his talks on the Bible are highly acclaimed I warmly commend this lecture to you and I hope our parish will be well represented in the attendance. The lecture will be held in the ballroom of the hotel.

Passion Musical
The Children’s Passion musical will be held on Sunday 25th March at 12 noon in All Saints.’ The Musical, under the direction of Mrs. Diane Ashmore is a truly uplifting and moving occasion and provides the ideal start to Holy Week. I do hope that the children will be well supported by the attendance of parishioners and those who have attended in previous years know the Children’s Musical is a very special event.

Lenten Appeal
During Lent the children of All Saints’ National School are collecting for Meals on Wheels, which is a most worthy charity in Mullingar. Paper plates, representing the meal will be sold for €1 each. After the Musical Passion the children and young people will be attempting to complete a full circle of plates around the outside of All Saints’ Church. So I hope many in the parish will lend their support to this most worthy cause by purchasing a plate.

Palm Sunday Evening- Sunday 25th March
At 7p.m. in All Saints’ Church we will meet for a quiet time to reflect on the meaning and purpose of life. Three speakers have kindly agreed to share their perspective on Faith and meaning. I warmly invite members of the parish to this occasion. Those who attend may just wish to listen or make their own contribution. At a time when so many in Ireland are wondering about the meaning and purpose of life this occasion provides an opportunity to hear and appreciate the Christian perspective.

Easter
Easter Sunday falls on the 1st April this year. I hope parishioners will be able to attend church to celebrate the Resurrection and the new life that God brings through the Risen Christ. Easter Day is a time for Christian joy and I look forward to celebrating this special day with you.

Killucan Coffee Morning – Saturday 24th March 11a.m. to 1p.m.
The coffee morning is the first of a number special events to be held in Killucan this year. I do hope the coffee morning will be well supported and it provides a lovely opportunity to visit the very beautiful church of Saint Etchen.

Circle of Prayer- We hope to establish a special circle of prayer in the Parish. The inaugural meeting will take place in All Saints’ on Thursday 1st March at 8p.m. I hope it will be very well supported.

Parish Whist Drive
The March whist drive will be held on Friday 2nd March at 8.30p.m. in All Saints’ this is always a very enjoyable evening and everyone will be most welcome.

Lenten Lunches
Lenten lunches will be held at Kilbixy on Tuesday 6th and 13th March from 12noon to 2p.m. Your support would be very much appreciated.

All Saints’ Dedication -At the Service in All Saints on Sunday 18th March the new history of the parish will be dedicated along with some recent furnishings. I would like to thank those who have taken such time preparing both the history and the work on the furnishings. The interior of the Church will be greatly enhanced.

St. Patrick’s Day- There will a special service held in All Saints’ at 11a.m. to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. The choir will sing the Breastplate.

Holy Baptism
We remember in our prayers Tony Mitchell following his recent Baptism as he begins his journey of faith and his parents and Godparents.

Bereavement
We offer our deepest sympathy to Eric Mills on the sudden death of his wife Barbara, and to their children Linda, Nigel, and Simon, the two grandchildren, Barbara’s brothers and sisters and the wider family. Barbara spent her life in Westmeath, first growing up in Castlepollard and then moving to live with Eric in Johnstown, Slanemore. She died very suddenly and was buried in the family plot in Castlepollard following the funeral Service in Kilbixy Parish Church. We pray that Barbara, now in the fuller presence of God, may rest in peace and that the family will be comforted by God’s love and the support of their family and friends and their fond memories of Barbara.

We would also like to offer our deepest sympathy to Yvonne, Lynn and Richard Williamson and their family following the sudden death of John. John was a very well known farmer and in earlier days was hugely successful in showing cattle. John had a very deep faith and was a valued and respected parishioner of Killucan Parish. He will be very sadly missed and we pray that now in the fuller presence of God he may rest in peace. We also pray that Yvonne, Lynn and Richard and the members of the family will be comforted by their lovely memories of John and in the assurance that God’s promises are true.

We would also like to offer our sympathy to David and Diane Miller following the death of David’s brother, Bob, in England. David’s brother thoughtfully donated his body for medical research. We pray he may rest in peace and that David and Diane may be comforted by their memories of him.

We also offer our sympathy to Sabine Kettelgerdes and Gregor and Anna following the death of Sabine’s father. Sabine’s Father bore his illness with great courage and dignity and he will be very sadly missed by his family and many friends. For some years he lived at Sallymount, County Westmeath and his expertise in horses was legend. We pray that he may rest in peace and that
Sabine and her family will be comforted by their memories of him and God’s love.

Parish Duty- Canon Lawrence will be available for pastoral emergencies from Friday 9th -Tuesday 13th March. His mobile number is 0860562944

All Saints’ Sunday School- JAM & Boys Brigade
We hope to reconvene in the next few weeks when Garda Vetting is complete.

Thursday CoffeeCoffee is served every Thursday in All Saints’, from 10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Do join us for coffee and help support those organisations helping people in need in Mullingar. Your Hosts are Arthur and Marian and they bring with them a wonderful assortment of homemade delights.

Tiny Tots ClubEach Friday morning from 10.00am – 12.00 noon in All Saints’ there is a lovely occasion for parents and their young children to meet. I extend a very warm invitation to all the younger parents in the Parish. You will be most welcome. You can Contact Zoe on 0852026188
Tiny Tots Group starts back on friday 12th 2018

Website
You may like to keep in touch with the Parish through the website and your family and friends may also like to have the web address. The address is www.mullingarunionofparishes.net. I encourage you to continue to look at the website and to also advise your family and friends about it.� �